In recent years, a variety of enzymes are used as biosensor elements. Glucose oxidases (GODs) have already been practically used as sensor elements for measuring blood glucose levels for the purpose of diagnosis of diabetes. However, GODs suffer from a problem that they are affected by dissolved oxygen in samples. Therefore, glucose dehydrogenases (GDHs), which are not affected by dissolved oxygen in samples, are drawing attentions as alternatives of GODs.
As GDHs, one requiring NAD(P)+ as a coenzyme (E.C.1.1.1.47), one requiring pyroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) as a coenzyme (PQQGDH; E.C.1.1.99.17) etc. have been reported. GDH requiring NAD(P)+ as a coenzyme suffers from a problem as a sensor element that NAD(P)+ needs to be added to the assay system. On the other hand, it is unnecessary for coenzyme-binding type GDHs such as PQQGDH to add a coenzyme to the assay system.
Further, sensor elements are desired to exhibit a stability that the function as a sensor is not lost even when they are continuously used or left at room temperature.
Since enzymes derived from thermophilic bacteria which grow at high temperature generally exhibit high thermostability, and high stability even in long-term storage, continuous use and so forth, application of them as sensor elements is expected. However, although GDHs derived from Thermoplasma acidophilum and Sulfolobus solfataricus have been reported as thermostable GDHs derived from thermophilic bacteria, both of them require NAD(P)+ as a coenzyme.
On the other hand, thermostable GDH produced by Burkholderia cepacia, a moderately thermophilic bacterium, is an FAD-binding type GDH, and the enzymological characteristics thereof such as optimum reaction temperature, thermostability and substrate specificity have already been elucidated (Patent document 1). This GDH usually exists as a heterooligomer consisting of a catalytic subunit (α-subunit) showing high heat resistance, an electron transfer subunit (β-subunit), which is cytochrome C, and γ-subunit of which function is unknown, and its optimum reaction temperature is 45° C. These subunits are dissociated by a heat treatment at a temperature higher than 50° C. to release the α-subunit monomer of which optimum reaction temperature is 75° C. The α-subunit monomer is thermostable and exhibits 80% or more of residual activity even after a heat treatment at 60° C. for 30 minutes. The genes coding for these subunits have also already been isolated (Patent documents 1 and 2).
However, coenzyme-binding type GDHs generally exhibit a broad substrate specificity, and also react with maltose, galactose and so forth in addition to glucose. When they are applied as a glucose sensor for monitoring blood sugar levels of diabetic patients, and the diabetic patients have such severe symptoms that peritoneal dialysis must be performed, there is a risk that values higher than the true blood sugar levels may be obtained, because a large amount of maltose is contained in the dialysate. GDH derived from Burkholderia cepacia also exhibits reactivity to maltose and galactose in addition to glucose.
A technique of changing substrate specificity of GDH by introducing an amino acid substitution mutation is known. As such mutant GDHs, for example, there are known PQQGDHs derived from E. coli (Patent documents 3 and 4), Acinetobacter calcoaceticus (Gluconobacter calcoaceticus) (Patent document 5), and Acinetobacter baumannii (Patent documents 6 to 8) requiring pyroloquinoline quinone as a coenzyme.    [Patent document 1] U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0023330    [Patent document 2] International Patent Publication WO03/091430    [Patent document 3] Japanese Patent Laid-open (Kokai) No. 10-243786    [Patent document 4] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-197888    [Patent document 5] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-173538    [Patent document 6] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-313172    [Patent document 7] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-313180    [Patent document 8] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-344145